


Our Chapter

by one_catastrophe



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Darlin Collection, M/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 10:35:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1301785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/one_catastrophe/pseuds/one_catastrophe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Widely-acclaimed tattoo artist, Leonard McCoy, may have many works of art to be proud of, but his favorite is still his piece on Jim's skin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Chapter

Walking into the tattoo parlor brought Jim awash into the sounds of familiar buzzing, one of the few sounds that could consistently settle his unruly spirits. Today was no different, with one simple, positive exception. This wasn’t just any tattoo parlor, and hadn’t been for years.

The reason for this was sitting in his simple rolling chair a few stations back, leaning over a client’s back, finishing the detailed coloring work on a client that Jim has seen come and go from the parlor multiple times this year to complete the elaborate work of a lunging lion that looked real enough to be coming right out of his skin. Leonard was easily the best tattoo artist Jim’s ever known, and he’s known his fair share. His skill for elaborate portraits has made this parlor the most popular in the city.

It only took another half an hour for Leonard to finish his work and clean up, which Jim was fully content to wait through and watch. Seeing Leonard get so engrossed in his work, like it was the one place he’s always belonged in the world, was one of the many reasons Jim fell for him. The vivid grin he got when his burly man of a client was almost choked up upon seeing the incredible portrait now embellishing his back was just another reason.

Jim couldn’t blame the man for getting so emotional, considering what had previously been under that tattoo; Leonard specialized in covering poorly-done and highly regrettable tattoos with breathtaking new ones. Leonard’s rare talent of fixing tattoos and subsequently fixing clients’ lives by repairing degrading tattoos earned him the moniker, “The Tattoo Doctor”.

The burly man thanked Leonard endlessly as he patched him up with the common treatment of gauze to protect the sensitive, healing skin, with Leonard returning his fond grumbling of something along the lines of _"It’s nothing, really"_. They shook hands once more, and Leonard sent him on his way once the client tossed his oversized t-shirt back on, adding a friendly slap on the shoulder instead of on his sensitive back. Upon turning to watch him exit, Leonard finally spotted Jim.

Leonard walked smoothly over to Jim, who was leaning against the wall next to the entrance. “What’re you doin’ here, darlin’?” The southern-born man asked while snapping off his latex gloves, revealing the tattoos that Jim was particularly fond of that illustrated the bone structure on the top of the hands that Jim was the most fond of.

"Just wanted to see you," Jim added that just to earn the fond smile that Leonard saved just for him - which worked - though he had ulterior motives for being here, "Actually, I wanted a tattoo today."

Leonard quirked an eyebrow, another subtle move that Jim was fond of. “Oh?”

Jim took his cue to continue, “Yeah. But I want you to pick it.”

Leonard only furrowed his eyebrows in growing confusion. “What d’ya want it to be about?”

"I want it to represent you. Us." Jim couldn’t help the small smile that struggled its way onto the corners of his lips.

The hesitation that crossed Leonard’s face was clear; both tattoo artists and frequent tattoo patrons hear a multitude of speeches on why tattoos concerning your significant other aren’t a good idea. “Jim…” Leonard began warningly.

Jim stopped him before he could start a familiar speech, “It’s been four and a half years, Bones,” Jim tacked on the nickname that only he has called Leonard for the entirety of the time they’ve been dating, “We’ve had enough of these kinds of talks to know both of us are sure about this.” The fact of “this” referring to knowing they’ll spend their lives together went without saying.

Leonard’s features visibly softened, and Jim empathized with the warm feeling that Leonard must be feeling in his chest. He took a moment before nodding in consent. “ _Anything_ to represent us?”

It was Jim’s turn to nod in response.

Leonard frowned as he flipped through ideas in his mind, before coming back to reality after a moment to turn around and glanced at the clock. “I don’t have ‘nother client for a few hours, so…”

Jim felt a grin blossom at the unspoken consent.

***

Jim settled into the familiar leather tattoo chair, feeling at peace; it had been far too many months since he had gotten his last tattoo. While Jim reveled in the feeling of the pliant chair beneath him, his boyfriend busied himself in preparing all of his supplies for today’s tattoo.

A few minutes later, Leonard swiveled around in his chair to face Jim, tattoo gun slack in his hand as he prepared it. His face obtained a moment’s worth of hesitation, “You sure about this, Jim…?”

This time, Jim could only smile softly in response to his boyfriend’s concern. “ _Bones,_ " He added caring emphasis to convey his sincerity, "I have tattoos to represent every other important piece of my life. Why would you be any different?" The tattoos littered over Jim’s body, from his sleeve to the elaborate piece on the right side of his ribcage and every miscellaneous little tattoo in between, were a testament to this; each one told a story that added up to comprise the many pieces of Jim’s being, and Leonard was the only other person in Jim’s life that knew how to read every line and shade of it like it was a book that he’s known since childhood. It was time that he had part of his own chapter scrawled on Jim’s skin.

Once again, Leonard’s features softened with fondness, expressing more certainty this time with his nod. “Where d’ya want it?”

"Somewhere where you’re the only one who gets to see it," Jim’s squint at Leonard told him to keep his thoughts appropriate, which Leonard immediately confessed to with a bawdy smirk, "Somewhere that’s only _ours_.”

Leonard took his task at hand seriously now, running a hand down Jim’s right side contemplatively, that contact sending a chill under Jim’s skin no matter where they are. Leonard’s hand eventually slowed once it reached the curve of the inner portion of Jim’s hip, rubbing a small circle there shortly before looking up at Jim’s eyes questioningly. Jim broke into a small smile to wordlessly answer him.

"Do you know what you want to do already?" Jim’s gaze lingered on the hand on his hip for a moment longer than it should have while he spoke.

Leonard took a deep breath and exhaled before punctuating his reply with another warm smile, “Yeah.”

***

The time that Leonard spent in his sketching room preparing a stencil was surprisingly short, which left Jim carding through his ideas of what Leonard could possibly choose for a design. He wasn’t sure what to expect from Leonard; something that easily represents them, or something more out of the box. He wouldn’t be disappointed either way, but he knew Leonard would put his personal spin on whatever he chose.

Leonard returned to his place at Jim’s side, hiding the stencil from Jim’s view behind his back. “I only have one condition.”

Jim quirked an eyebrow, listening.

"You don’t get to see what it is ‘til it’s all healed. No peeking."

Jim felt himself naturally pout in response, but huffed after a moment of deliberation. “Fine. Tease.”

Leonard was busying himself cleaning the skin of Jim’s inner curve of his hip, throwing him a wink, “Save that for later, darlin’.”

***

The familiar burn of the tattoo needle over Jim’s skin occupied his attention while he stared idly at the simple white ceiling tiles above him. He was, of course, forbidden from watching Leonard work this time, so he kept his eyes anywhere else possible. He only tried peeking once, in which Leonard put up his left hand around Jim’s hip in response to act as a shield and glared intently, making it clear that he was highly set on Jim not knowing the tattoo yet.

Jim let the continual buzzing of the tattoo gun lull him into a daydream of lazy thought progressions. He tried to piece together what each mark he felt being placed on his skin could signify; it didn’t feel like too elaborate of a piece so far, though he couldn’t quite put together a mental image of it. Leonard had only added mild shading up to this point. Unless this was only the first session of the tattoo…

The sudden removal of pressure from his skin and absence of the buzzing from Leonard’s tattoo gun, leaving only the distant buzz of the others around the parlor, broke Jim from his reverie, much sooner than he expected to be finished.

"That’s it?" Jim started to sit up, only to have Leonard hiss and push him back down courtesy of a hand on Jim’s stomach, save he see the tattoo before it was covered.

"That’s it," Leonard confirmed flatly, bandaging the area properly, before wheeling backwards slightly to signal to Jim that he’s done with him, hunching over and placing a hand to grip on the outer portion of each of his thighs to support his arms.

With permission granted, Jim sat up, tossing his legs over the side of the chair and pulled up the portion of his pants that had to be tugged down to expose the necessary skin area, doing this task carefully around the tender skin.

"Should I pay you?" Jim asked while he stood, stretching his arms behind his back.

Leonard snorted, knowing Jim’s well aware that he didn’t have to pay for the last four tattoos he’s gotten from Leonard, “You do remember we live in the same house, don’t you? _'My money's your money'_ , all that cliché shit?”

Jim started into a grin, “Still. _'Time is money'_.”

Leonard swiveled around in his chair to reorganize his supplies, snapping his gloves off once again. Jim didn’t need to see his face to hear to smile in Leonard’s voice, “Take me out to dinner, and we’ll call it even.”

***

Jim could feel his tattoo healing over the next few days, the itching around that patch of skin making him well aware of that. Any time that Jim whined about that, Leonard rolled his eyes, but obliged to lotion the area on his own to soothe Jim’s skin, still keeping it out of his sight. (Jim only got away with the excuse that he needed a “distraction” from the itching in the form of sex once; Leonard caught on after that.)

Days continued to pass, and Jim was starting to get impatient. “When do I get to see it?” Jim whined to Leonard one night, curled up at his boyfriend’s side on the couch, watching a movie.

Leonard glanced down at Jim in the dim light and bit his lip, taking a moment to deliberate his thoughts. “I think it’s ready.”

Before Jim could return any form of response, Leonard stood and took Jim’s hand in his own, leading him on a path to their bedroom.

***

Jim hissed from the rush of feeling Leonard’s nimble fingers skimming over the newly-bared skin of his stomach, soon reaching their destination of the button of Jim’s pants.

Leonard flipped open the button in a practiced motion, next targeting to tug on the waistband of Jim’s boxers, doing so carefully over Jim’s semi-recently tattooed hip, as his gentle nature always lead him to do. He thumbed over the skin of Jim’s faintly protruding hip, noting the way Jim bit his lip to keep his reaction stifled.

His thumb curled over the natural flow of Jim’s hip, eventually coming to the tape of the makeshift bandage over Jim’s tattoo. Once he started pulling at the edges of the tape, Jim took his hint and sat up slowly to watch. This time, Leonard didn’t stop him, only gave Jim the smile that he saved only for him.

Leonard peeled back the tape much too slowly - or maybe that’s only how it felt to Jim. Soon, his skin was free from the blemish of a patch, and Leonard skimmed his fingers over the area, testing its sensitivity, which, due to Jim’s lack of a flinch, told him was just fine.

Jim leaned forward enough to anxiously view the tattoo, just as the pad Leonard’s thumb settled on what turned out to be the curve of the last letter scrawled across Jim’s skin. There, Jim took in the sight of the newest addition to his body art - a finely scripted tattoo of the simple word, “ _darlin'_ ”, complete with the only-appropriate apostrophe and all. The writing was so natural and smooth - not too detailed, not too simple; not too sharp, not too drab; not too attention-grabbing, not too small - it flowed so well, it was so fitting, so right, so _Bones_.

Jim found himself instinctively reaching out to trace over the humble black ink that adorned his skin, feeling over each curve that Leonard’s fingers had already explored.

"What d’ya think, darlin’?" Once Jim looked up, he found Leonard with what bordered a sheepish grin, and Jim found himself contagiously catching the same grin.

"It’s perfect." The tattoo sat so effortlessly in its place on his skin, like it belonged there. He couldn’t think of a better place for this piece of his story to belong, couldn’t think of a better place for his heart to find its place to belong.

If Jim was aware of Leonard being more fond of that spot than ever before - letting his gaze linger there a moment longer each time they were together; tracing every inch of it; reading his chapter on Jim’s skin over and over, wordlessly promising that it would never end - let Leonard be none the wiser.

**Author's Note:**

> For the recent trend of the "Darlin Collection" tag on Tumblr, comprised of stories centered around Bones calling Jim "Darlin'". :)


End file.
